Schedule & Breakout Sessions

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast

8:30 AM – 8:45 AM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Kimberly Burrows, Chief Development Officer, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle
Rajesh Mirchandani, CEO, Storyteller Consulting

A warm kickoff to the inaugural conference, setting the vision for how agriculture strengthens food banks, communities, and nutrition security. Includes an overview of conference goals, structure, and networking opportunities.

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM
A Word from our Sponsor
Jon Zwinski, US Region Head & General Manager, Chiesi USA

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Fireside Chat: The Power of Growing Together
L. Ron Pringle, President & CEO, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle

Not a panel discussion but a community conversation beginning with the end in mind: what happens when a community changes itself from a food desert to a food oasis? Featuring community members from the Conetoe Family Life Center, audience voices and other leaders in the nationwide network that’s building nutrition security and community resilience through local, sustainable agriculture.

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Networking Coffee Break

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM
Morning Breakout Sessions (choose one session to attend)

Option 1:
From Seed to Scale: Building and Expanding Food Bank Agriculture
Presenters: Margaret Burn, Lowcountry Food Bank (SC) + Donna Vick, Second Harvest Food Bank (TN) + James Hoffer, Dayton Food Bank (OH) + Kristen Sommerfield, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (NC)

Whether you’re starting your first garden or running a small farm, the steps to grow your impact are rooted in strategy, planning, and relationships. This session will guide you from the earliest stages—assessing space, resources, and community needs—to scaling production, diversifying crops, and integrating agriculture into your organization’s mission. Attendees will explore case studies from food banks that went from small plots to thriving multi-acre operations, learn about volunteer and staffing models, and walk away with practical planning tools to fit any scale.

Session Document: From Seed to Scale

Option 2:
Transforming Health Through Food is Medicine: Innovative Programs for Nutrition Security
Presenters: Erica Paine, Chiesi USA + Allison McGee, Feeding Southwest Virginia (VA) + Maria Bowman, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (VA) + Liz Hatzenbuehler, Food & Healthy Policy – Boston (MA) + Dr. LaPorchia Collins, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University (MA)

Join us for a powerful panel exploring the full spectrum of population-level healthy food policies and programs. Panelists will share insights on how initiatives such as Produce Prescription Programs, Food Pharmacies, and Medically Tailored Groceries and Meals are reshaping the narrative around nutrition and disease management.

Expect compelling stories from LaPorchia, Maria, and Allison on the transformative impact of Produce Prescription Programs, and hear from Liz about how Massachusetts leveraged the 1115 Waiver to make Medically Tailored Groceries accessible to Medicaid patients. We’ll also examine the critical role of nutrition counseling and education, and the far-reaching consequences of government shutdowns on food access.

Be prepared to be inspired—and challenged—to formulate your own programs that build trust, engage communities, and drive healthier outcomes for all.

Session Documents & Links:

• Virginia Food as Medicine Plan
• Medicaid Nutrition Supports Associated with Reductions in Hospitalizations and ED Visits in Massachusetts, 2020-2023
• Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, Maximizing the Impact of Nutrition Interventions with Local Procurement

Option 3:
Opening New Ground: Access, Ownership, and Creative Growing Spaces
Presenters: Leigh Ann Hammerbacher, Triangle Land Conservancy (NC) + Heather Szaro, Triangle Land Conservancy (NC) + Kierra Hyman, Triangle Land Conservancy (NC) + Amy Ballard, City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources (NC)

Access to land is one of the greatest challenges for community agriculture—especially for historically marginalized communities. This session explores innovative solutions to protect and expand land access, from long-term lease models to conservation and community land trusts. We’ll also look at unconventional growing spaces—including protected lands like City parks, land trust owned properties, and land protected by conservation easements—and discuss the partnerships and permissions needed to make them viable. Participants will leave with policy tools, partnership strategies, and creative ideas to unlock underused spaces for food production.

12:00 PM – 1:15 PM
Networking Lunch + Trade Show

1:15 PM – 2:30 PM
Afternoon Breakout Sessions (choose one session to attend)

Option 1:
Nourishing Mind and Body: Cultural Preservation Through Local Foods
Presenters: Margaret Burn, Lowcountry Food Bank (SC) + Victoria Smalls, Gullah Community (SC) + Joseph and Helen Fields, Gullah Farmers (SC) + Gary Besaw, Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition (WI) + Kara Black, Tribal Elder, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin

Food is more than nutrition—it’s heritage, memory, and identity. This session explores how culturally connected foods strengthen mental and physical health while reinforcing community pride. Through storytelling and knowledge-sharing this session will reflect on how different regions, cultures and communities are preserving their food ways and improving their nutrition security.

Option 2:
Stronger Together: Building Trust and Creating Win-Win Solutions for Farmers
Presenters: Charles Parrish, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (NC) + Carter Crain, Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC + Athan Barkoukis, Farmer Food Share (NC) + Colleen Hanlon-Smith, Peak Season (MA) + Larry Davis, Davis Farms Sandy Creek (NC)

The most effective partnerships between farmers and food institutions are built on trust, mutual respect, and shared benefit. This session dives into strategies for building lasting relationships, from fair pricing and transparent communication to innovative purchasing programs that turn surplus or “seconds” into valuable community food. We’ll also explore how circular economy models can reduce waste and mitigate risks for farmers while improving food sourcing and access.

Option 3:
The Role of Universities in Nutrition Security
Presenters: Heidi Coe, Second Harvest Heartland  (MN) + Tom Mainzer, Feeding Pennsylvania + Greta Klawiter-Lein, Augsburg University (MN) + LeBroderick Woods, Tougaloo College (MS)

Colleges and universities can play a unique role as drivers of nutrition security, food sovereignty, and farming and food justice. This session examines how higher education institutions can use land and partnerships to meet real community needs. We’ll explore successful partnerships between universities, food banks and other organizations, from leveraging Extension programs for public benefit, to campus land use for food production to support both the student population and the broader community.

2:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Networking Coffee Break

2:45 PM – 4:00 PM
Afternoon Breakout Sessions (choose one session to attend)

Option 1:
Remaining Resilient: Refocusing Our Advocacy in a Changed Landscape
Presenters: Tyler Edwards, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (DC) + Marguerite Green, Louisiana Food Policy Council + Colleen Hanlon-Smith, Farm2Neighbor Maine

Policy and funding landscapes are shifting, and local agriculture programs are feeling the impact. This session focuses on strategies to adapt advocacy priorities in a time of reduced government support. Participants will learn how to make the case for restoring funds, build coalitions, and amplify the voices of growers, community members, and food banks. Expect practical tips for engaging policymakers and using data to influence change.

Session Documents: Remaining Resilient

Option 2:
How to Build a Food Is Medicine Program
Presenters: Trevor Hyde, Wake County Cooperative Extension (NC) + Athan Barkoukis, ED Farmer FoodShare (NC) + Kendall Kirk, Nourished Rx + Isis Villegas Eynon, FreshConnect, Gleaners Food Bank (IN) + Rikkeya Feggans, Feeding America

Food Is Medicine (FIM) programs connect food access with healthcare, offering a powerful way to improve health outcomes and reduce medical costs. In this session, we’ll explore the end-to-end process of building a FIM program: sourcing fresh produce, designing medically tailored food packages, partnering with healthcare providers, and measuring health impact. You’ll learn how to navigate funding streams, integrate nutrition education, and align your program with both patient needs and healthcare system priorities.

Option 3:
Rooted In Resilience: Supporting Neighbors to Grow Their Own Solutions to End Hunger
Presenters: Alexa Poindexter, Ozarks Food Harvest  (MO) + Jessica Allen, Ozarks Food Harvest  (MO)+ Lynn Conyers, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (NC) + G4E Neighbor, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle

Communities already hold the knowledge and capacity to feed themselves—if given the right tools and support. This session highlights examples of food banks and local organizations providing resources, training, and technical assistance to help neighbors grow their own food. We’ll discuss asset-based community development, culturally responsive program design, and how to balance support with empowerment. Participants will learn about Ozarks Food Harvest’s garden outreach programs, including Garden-to-Go-Kits (seed distribution), Plant it Forward (public plant distribution), field trip opportunities, educational workshops and garden technical assistance; and also hear about Food Shuttle’s Gardens for Everyone program, its support of local community gardens and other local growing opportunities.

Session Documents: SOP for a Community Plant Distribution

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Day 1 Wrap-Up & Preview of Day 2
L. Ron Pringle, President & CEO, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle

5:30 PM
Buses leave the hotel for Farm Dinner

6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Reception at the Farm

6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Dinner at the Farm

8:00 PM
Buses depart from the Farm to the hotel

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Breakfast and Table Topics in the Oak Forest Ballroom

8:00 AM – 8:15 AM
Morning Welcome & Reflections from Day 1

8:15 AM – 9:00 AM
General Session: Spotlight on Successful Partnerships
L. Ron Pringle, President & CEO, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle

A showcase of real-life examples from food banks that have integrated agriculture programs with strong community and farmer relationships, demonstrating what’s possible when trust and collaboration drive the work.

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Self-Facilitated Breakout Sessions (attend your regional session)

Cultivating Connections: A Working Session for Partnership Building

Some of the most valuable conference moments happen when two people find shared purpose. This facilitated working session turns those conversations into action. Bring someone you met earlier—or find a new connection here—and use dedicated time to explore a potential partnership, map next steps, and commit to a follow-up plan. You’ll leave with a tangible collaboration in motion.

Option 1:
Southest

Option 2:
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

Option 3:
Mountain Plains and Midwest

Option 3:
Southwest and Western

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Networking Coffee Break

10:45 AM – 11:30 AM
Group Harvest: Sharing Partnership Plans
Facilitator: Rajesh Mirchandani, CEO, Storyteller Consulting

Small groups report back on partnership ideas developed during Cultivating Connections. This session offers feedback, resource sharing, and potential joint commitments to keep collaboration moving after the conference.

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Closing Plenary: Growing Forward Together
L. Ron Pringle, President & CEO, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle

An inspiring send-off focused on how attendees can keep the momentum going, connect across regions, and support each other’s agricultural efforts year-round.

Noon – Conference Adjourns